Christmas Greetings 2023

Dear friend and intercessor,

We are approaching Christmas time with gratitude!  We will share about our recent mission trip to three different nations in Southeast Asia. This was to have been done in 2019 but the pandemic prevented the trip. Now 4 years later, in the Autumn of 2023, the journey was finally made.

The backstory for this trip was a vision I had received decades ago for national workers to takeownership of shining the light into the darkness of the yet unreached people groups in their area. Only then can we fulfil the Great Commission. There are still 684 unreached people groups in Southeast Asia.

– Arto Sädeaho –

God’s Timetables are Reliable

Based on previous experiences, we knew that the fulfilment of this mission was not self-evident. Our trips have often been hindered at the last minute by various obstacles, illnesses, and even accidents. That’s why I appealed in the autumn letter for your prayers.

Thanks to all who remembered our journey in prayers and giving!

This time, the biggest challenge was the travel budget. Even on the threshold of our departure, it felt like it was still hanging by a loose thread.

GNN is a faith-based mission association that operates in trusting that God stirs up the desire and action within donors’ hearts to give. Even small gifts are important to see the task fulfilled. May the Lord bless faithful supporters!

Despite being short of over half of the travel budget, we decided to go ahead by faith. I trusted that “help comes from above” and so it did!

When the first training week in Saigon (HCM), Vietnam had already commenced, Orvokki sent a message on the 19.9, that a larger sum had been gifted into the account. It was encouraging to see the travel budget being covered over halfway now! During the following week in Indonesia, I received a message while at the Bible school in Sumatra, that on the 4.10, we had received another big donation. The budget began to come together promisingly!

And then during the last part of the third seminar week in Borneo, East Malaysia, we received a final gift from Australia. The remainder of the budget was complete.

Thanks to God who does not allow our feet to stumble! Although the answer may sometimes be delayed, in God’s Kingdom it is never late.

My new co-worker Kimmo Sarajärvi noted that giving is a part of spiritual warfare. Although the lack of funds may limit the fulfilment of our calling, it strangely invigorates the prayer life.

Would you like to be part of expanding the most important calling in the world – to reach the unreached? Donate by using the reference 3010 (greatest need).